


Paradise Lost

by bobbles34



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Multi, basically veronica figuring out her sexuality, bi!veronica, endgame cheronica, mentions of bughead, warnings for internal biphobia throughout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 14:14:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10113488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bobbles34/pseuds/bobbles34
Summary: Trula, with her burgundy hair and soft hazel eyes, walked down the halls, a version of a sexual awakening if she ever saw one. Veronica's beginning to think she has a thing for redheads.Or which, Veronica struggles to get a grip on her sexuality.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Even though the title is based off of Gain's "Paradise Lost" it's not as dark or angsty as one would think.  
> Anyways, I don't how Riverdale will treat Trula if she ever appears, so this is my own take on the psychologist red head.

Veronica Lodge is straight. She's had almost every taste of boy, and she'd do it all over again. When she locked eyes with Archie Andrews that night, she had the curiosity to try a boy of the redhead variety. 

However, the pretty blonde sitting across from him, with what almost looks like a halo surrounding her beautiful blonde hair intrigues her almost immediately. 

Girls are pretty, girls are hot. But Veronica Lodge doesn't do girls. 

There's an uneasiness in her stomach that didn't feel so good.  
\----------------------------------------------

Veronica kisses Betty out of pure Cheryl-esque spite. As a way to climb the ladder, as a way to put the very hot bombshell in her place. But Betty Cooper's lips taste sweet and that uneasy feeling returns in her stomach. One that says that things within her where changing. 

Not to mention that Cheryl Blossom and her fiery looks hadn't gone unnoticed by the raven haired girl. 

Maybe it was the town's water. Veronica Lodge doesn't feel sexual attraction to girls. 

And as she kisses Archie Andrews in the closet, the spark of open campfire opens within her and puts those thoughts to rest. 

For now.  
\-----------------------------------------------  
Veronica thinks Archie is stupid; Betty Cooper was a catch, and if no one could see that then they were stupid as hell. The thought alone is uncomfortable with Veronica, and she thinks that putting a little bit of a distance between her and Betty may be good. 

Archie. The stupidly sweet redhead who was a dreamer. And Veronica wasn't anything if not the best friend you could have. She knows deep down that there's more to her helping Archie exactly when he needed it, and that thought kept her feeling at ease. Slightly. 

\-------------------------------------------------  
Betty is dating Jughead. Veronica almost lets out a sigh of relief, but figures the initial curiosity has gone away and has been replaced a deep appreciation for her best friend. And a happiness that Betty seemed to be happy with the raven haired boy beside her. 

She and Cheryl grow closer by the day, and "Hi!" and a hug in the halls, late night conversations about the shitty home lives. As Veronica was thinking about having lunch with said bombshell, the hallway doors open and a pair of Chuck Taylors enter.

Betty, who's right beside her, lets out a breath, "Trula's back." Veronica raised her eyebrows. Betty clarifies, "Trula Twyst. She's been overseas but it looks like she's returned." 

Trula, with her burgundy hair and soft hazel eyes, walked down the halls, a version of a sexual awakening if she ever saw one. Veronica's beginning to think she has a thing for redheads. Her knee-high flowery dress, paired with a leather jacket and long, thick red curls would have never worked on anyone else but the girl in front of her. 

Trula must have known she was staring because the girl turned and gave her a wink. 

The idea of Archie Andrews was a distant memory.

Veronica didn't do girls.  
\----------------------------------------  
She tells Kevin this at lunch, and Kevin shakes his head, "Maybe you do. Maybe you're gay after all." 

Veronica shakes her head almost furiously, "I like men too. That hasn't changed, Kev. It's just..."

"Girls are becoming more attractive to you." He raises his eyebrows, and Veronica sighs. 

"Like you said, sexuality is fluid." 

"Then why are you running from it?" He asks her, but Veronica can't give him an answer.  
\---------------------------------------------  
Jughead groans and complains about Trula as they sit over fries at Pop's. It's just she and him, Betty having something at home to do, Archie was practicing his music with Valerie, and Kevin was god knows where. The door chimes open and Betty takes a seat next to her boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
"What did I miss?"  
"Trula." Veronica points out dryly. Betty snorts, taking a french fry.

"Did you know that one time in middle school Trula got Jughead to stop eating burgers for a whole week." 

"I don't know how she did it, she just did." Jughead grumbles and Betty chuckles, "Trula had a crush on him in middle school, so she'd mess with him and Archie."

"She did it to become popular, Betty." He deadpans, "I mean, once everyone knew what she could do she even beat Cheryl out of her own popularity competition."

"She sounds fascinating." It slips from Veronica's lips before she can catch it. Jughead raises his eyebrows, but she was sure he was the only one out of the "Bughead" couple to catch her Fraudian slip. 

"She's not. She's messy. And really good at manipulation. Watch out for her."

Veronica gulps at Jughead's double meaning.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
Another beautiful redhead catches her attention, "I was thinking maybe a movie and a mani-pedi at your place?" said a sweet voice behind her locker door. Cheryl was only sweet to Veronica. It felt like a secret only they shared. 

"This Saturday?" Veronica offers and Cheryl beams. "Perfect." Veronica's heart sinks into her stomach. It was getting harder and harder to push it down. She and Cheryl chat for a minute before Cheryl's eye catches the talk of the week.

"Why is she here?" Cheryl hisses, and Veronica pictures a cat with all its hairs standing on edge. Trula turns, a smirk on her face as she blew a kiss towards their direction. Cheryl hisses but Veronica is positive that kiss was for her. 

She didn't like her odds now.  
\--------------------------------------------------------  
Trula Twyst slides into Veronica's booth one night at Pop's as she's waiting for take out. Her crazy red hair is put up into a bun, her jeans covering the curves of body perfectly. Her hazel eyes danced in delight as she gives Veronica a once over. 

"Veronica Lodge, is it?" He voice is a bit deeper than Veronica imagined. Veronica's lips turned upwards, but only slightly. 

"The one and only." Veronica notices the blue and purple bracelet on Trula's wrist and her eyes widened at it. So Kevin wasn't the only out person in Riverdale.  
"Trula Twyst." She extends a hand out to Veronica, and Veronica carefully takes it. Her whole arm feels like it's on fire. 

"I'm Bi." Veronica lets slip as she and Cheryl watch "Something Borrowed." Veronica doesn't catch the smile that lights up Cheryl's face.  
\-------------------------------------------------------

Trula, as it turns out, isn't half bad. She's snarky, intelligent, and funny. Add on gorgeous and you have a pretty good package, Veronica thinks. One night over Korean bbq, Veronica asks about Trula's shenanigans. Trula laughs and talks about how she'd try to one up Jughead and how she gained a popularity that wasn't so great.

"To an eighth grader, though, I thought I was hot shit. Me? More popular than Cheryl Blossom? And I get to grind Jughead's gears? But living in Seoul changes you." Veronica tries not to pay attention to the pretty Korean boy in the photo, one arm over Trula's shoulder. Trula catches her looking and gives a wistful smile, "That was a while ago. You move on." 

Veronica doesn't think so, but it doesn't hurt her like she thinks it would. Because Veronica wasn't in love with Trula, not even close, and she begins to wonder if maybe she was hiding from someone too.

Before Veronica leaves, Trula pulls her in, burying Veronica's lips with hers. 

Veronica's knees almost give in.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
They do it often, always at Trula's place. Lips trace the curves of Veronica's body and Veronica wonders why she wanted to avoid this. 

It was nothing 100% serious, more of a fling than anything, but Trula hung around more (much to Jughead's saltiness) and it felt like they fit. 

But as she catches Cheryl's eye, there's a gap in her heart she didn't expect to be there before. 

Cheryl looks sour. Veronica's heart hurts.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------  
"Come over." Veronica asks bluntly, and Cheryl closes her locker door. "I thought you liked another redhead." Cheryl replied sarcastically, but Veronica can decipher the hurt in her voice. She frowns.

"Cheryl, look. Trula has no interest in your spot as Queen Bee. Maybe give her a chance?" She could see Cheryl defrost and Cheryl sighs. 

"I can give her one shot." Cheryl says and Veronica grins. She's missed Cheryl so much, and having her talk to her again made her feel light on her feet.

It turns out well- at least in the beginning. At least they weren't snipping at each other. Cheryl asks about Trula's time in Seoul, and the two end up being on okay terms.

But when Trula leaves, Cheryl turns towards her, an unreadable look on her face. 

"Are you FWBs?" Cheryl asks bluntly, and Veronica stops in her tracks. 

"We used to be." The truth slips out. 

"Hm." Cheryl grabs her purse and walks out. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Trula is officially leaving for Korea. "The divorce is final." She tells Veronica, "And Mom wants us to go back, back to her old job. So I'm going with." Her lips turn up, but there's a sadness in her voice. Veronica thinks back on her time with Trula, and realizes she wouldn't change it for the world. 

"I'm gonna miss you." Trula nodded, leaning over to kiss Veronica one more time, as if to say, "I'll miss you too." 

Cheryl shows up with Chinese, and Veronica blinks. "Thought you could use a pick me up." Cheryl says kindly. Veronica grins, letting Cheryl in. 

"She...was the one that made you realize you were bi, right?" She asks Veronica and Veronica slowly nods, "Although, maybe I was before I met Trula. We were never more than Friends With Benefits. She has someone in Korea waiting for her. And I was never really in love with her." 

"But you were close." Cheryl says and Veronica nods, "Yeah." 

"There will be other redheads." She says, and Veronica already thinks that there was always just one redhead.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Cheryl opens her locker one morning, balloons flying out of her locker and a half a dozen red roses sitting on her books. She turns to see Veronica, holding a box in her hands.  
"I know it's tacky, but I was wondering if you would go to prom with me?" Veronica asks, and Cheryl takes the box out of Veronica's hand slowly.

"Chocolates." She asks, and Veronica nods, "You're favorite." Cheryl pretends to think about it. 

"It is tacky, but I accept your invitation, Veronica Lodge." 

It was all the ammunition she needed as she closed the distance between her and Cheryl, with whistles and clapping in the distance.

Veronica Lodge liked girls.

 _Especially_ the one she was kissing right now.


End file.
